Sludge Watch ==> Greg Kester Goes Coastal - Promoting Biosolids

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

Promoting sludge on fire damaged land?
What about runoff?
What about the Part 503 regs?
Most California counties have county ordinances that limit the land 
application of sludges.

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http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/273018



The Capital Times
Madison.com
2.18.08

Exteme Commuters Take it in Stride



Empty nester goes coastal

Last June, Greg Kester started a new job with the California Association of 
Sanitation Agencies, a non-profit association that represents 90% of the 
wastewater treatment plants in the Golden State.

As the biosolids program manager, he works with local, state and federal 
governments and the Environmental Protection Agency to promote the best use 
of biosolids -- sewage sludge treated to the point where it can be safely 
recycled to the land. He's working on agricultural or reclamation projects 
all over the state.

Kester said that despite the distance, the job was a great opportunity and 
has been challenging and exciting. California is a bellwether for land 
application programs nationwide.

"One of the big projects I'm working on now is (applying) biosolids to 
fire-damaged land," he said.

Yet he never would have considered the job if his two adult children were 
younger, because he's traveling so much. He's usually on the West Coast 
every four out of five weeks. He flies out on a Monday and returns Thursday 
afternoon or leaves Tuesday and is back in Madison on Friday.

Kester has an office in Sacramento but he's rarely there; various projects 
require him to be in different cities around the state. He's hoping to cut 
back the travel to every other week sometime this year and do more 
telecommuting.

The difficult part is being away from his wife Ginny but, after being 
married for 33 years, "We felt it wouldn't be an undo strain on our 
relationship, which it hasn't been," Kester said.

His wife's family is from Southern California and still has a farm in 
Ventura. When she retires from her teaching job in a few years, the couple 
plans to spend winters in California.

"It's just a different way of life to go to the office and have it be 2,000 
miles away," he said.